Sustainable Development

Student teachers must

Embrace locally and globally the educational and social values of sustainability, equality and justice and recognise the rights and responsibilities of future as well as current generations.
Value as well as respect social, cultural and ecological diversity and promote the principles and practices of local and global citizenship for all learners.
Demonstrate a commitment to engaging learners in real world issues to enhance learning experiences and outcomes, and to encourage learning our way to a better future.

(Standard for Provisional Registration with GTCS, benchmark 1.1)

During your eight serial days, you should gather this information, by observing, speaking to class teachers and other colleagues, interacting with learners, reading school policies, and any other appropriate activities. You should consider and identify the most appropriate ways(s) to record this information.

Mapping of school grounds/area.

The school is situated in. It is a long narrow building with all the class rooms in a straight line along the corridor and four classrooms on the upper floor. Situated at the entrance is the administrative office, janitors office and gym hall. The gym hall is also used as a canteen and contains a stage. Within the school there is also resource rooms and nuture room. Outside the entrance either side is the eco garden and to the far left is a pitch (only for primary six and seven) with a bike shed at the side. The playground behind the building is prohibited but the front right is for primary 3-7 and the left is for primary 1 and 2. There are cones to enforce this. The playground on the left is painted as if it is a road, this is for cycling proficency and due to the cars having to come through the playground to the carpark. Staff have whistles and there is protocol for if a car comes, all the children are aware of this.

Evidence of existing engagement with sustainable education within the school such as garden area, recycling bins, litter picking ‘wardens’, bird boxes, and so on.

There is an eco committee which many pupils participate in. They have planted potatoes, small carrots etc within their garden, they have also made scarecrows out of recycling materials in order to keep animals who will eat the seeds away. There is also a litter picking committee, which has two pupils from every class and they go round picking up any litter within the playground. They also have a recycling bin in every classroom. There is also a bike shed to encourage children to cycle to school.

Consideration of actual play space for children and its suitability.

Cones are set out so that primary 1 and 2 stay within their designated zone which is not effected by cars. Primary 6 and 7’s are the only pupils allowed to use the pitch, the younger pupils do not feel this is fair and they should designate days so that they can have a turn. For cars to reach the car park, they have to drive through primary 3-7 playground which is unsafe. However in order to improve this they have road markings on the ground and designate places to stand for when the whistle is blown (this signals that a car is coming.)

Discussion with children on these aspects of sustainable education

The children wish to increase their eco garden as they only have six small green boxes with plants in them and their is loads of space for more. They also hope to get more benches so theycan sit outside and eat lunch (weather permitting) as there is one but its for adults use only.